The present invention generally relates to a fastening tool for dispensing fasteners from a magazine assembly into a workpiece and more specifically to an improved magazine assembly for a fastening tool.
A number of pneumatically operated devices have been developed for use in driving fasteners, such as staples and nails, into workpieces. These tools typically employ a magazine assembly for holding a plurality of the fasteners and feeding the fasteners into the nose of the tool prior to the installation of the fasteners into a workpiece.
Despite the wide spread use of such tools, several drawbacks have been noted. One such drawback concerns the difficulty in loading fasteners into the magazine assembly. Frequently, the known magazine assemblies employ a follower for guiding the fasteners in housing of the magazine assembly that requires both of a user""s hands to reposition the follower from a loading position, which permits the fasteners to be loaded into the housing of the magazine assembly, to a free position wherein the follower urges the fasteners upwardly in the housing of the magazine assembly. Accordingly, such mechanisms are often times cumbersome to operate.
In one form, the present invention provides a magazine assembly for a fastening tool. The magazine assembly includes a magazine housing, which defines a follower housing portion with an upper end and a lower end, a follower structure that is at least partially disposed in the follower housing portion, a spring that biases the follower structure upwardly toward the upper end of the follower housing portion, and a catch having a first catch portion, which is associated with the follower structure, and a second catch portion, which is associated with the magazine housing. The catch is selectively operable in an engaged condition that maintains the follower structure in a predetermined position relative to the magazine housing. The catch is situated in the engaged condition in response to manually releasing the follower structure following an initial downwardly directed contact event to thereby permit the spring to bias the follower structure upwardly in the follower housing portion. The catch is changed from the engaged condition to an unengaged condition in response to a subsequent downwardly directed contact event with the follower structure.
In another form, the present invention provides a fastening tool assembly having a fastening tool and a magazine assembly that is configured to hold and progressively dispense a plurality of fasteners to the fastening tool. The magazine assembly includes a magazine housing, a follower structure, a spring and a catch. The magazine housing has a follower housing portion with an upper end and a lower end. The follower structure includes a follower body, which is at least partially disposed in the follower housing portion, and an actuating lever that extends from the magazine housing and is configured to receive a manual input from a finger of a user to cause the follower body to translate downwardly in the follower housing portion. The spring is associated with the magazine housing and the follower structure and configured to bias the follower structure upwardly toward the upper end of the follower housing portion. The catch includes a first catch portion, which is coupled to the follower body, and a second catch portion, which is associated with the magazine housing. The catch is operable in an unlatched condition, which does not inhibit upward translating movement of the follower structure relative to the magazine housing, and a latched condition in which the first and second catch portions engage one another to inhibit the follower body from moving upwardly in the follower housing portion. The user need only press the actuating lever downward to cause the follower structure to translate downward relative to the magazine housing beyond a predetermined point and thereafter release the actuating lever to change the catch from the latched condition to the unlatched condition.
In another form, the present invention provides a fastening tool assembly having a fastening tool and a magazine assembly that is configured to hold and progressively dispense a plurality of fasteners to the fastening tool. The magazine assembly includes a magazine housing, a guide tab, a first catch portion, a second catch portion and a spring. The magazine housing is configured to hold the fasteners and has a follower housing portion with an upper end and a lower end. The guide tab is at least partially housed in the magazine housing and is configured to guide the fasteners while they are being progressively dispensed from the magazine housing. The first catch portion is coupled to one of the magazine housing and the follower structure, while the second catch portion being coupled to the other one of the magazine housing and the follower structure. The spring biases at least one of the first catch portion and the second catch portion away from the other one of the first catch portion and the second catch portion. The first catch portion and the second catch portion cooperate with one another to permit the guide tab to be latched in a loading position whereby the fasteners may be loaded into the magazine housing. The first catch portion and the second catch portion are configured such that their engagement is effected through relative translation of one of the first catch portion and the second catch portion toward the other one of the first catch portion and the second catch portion followed by relative translation of the one of the first catch portion and the second catch portion away from the other one of the first catch portion and the second catch portion. The first catch portion and the second catch portion are further configured such that disengagement of the first catch portion and the second catch portion from one another is effected solely through translation of the one of the first catch portion and the second catch portion toward the other one of the first catch portion and the second catch portion followed by relative translation of the one of the first catch portion and the second catch portion away from the other one of the first catch portion and the second catch portion.
In yet another form, the present invention provides a fastening tool assembly having a fastening tool and a magazine assembly. The magazine assembly is configured to hold a plurality of fasteners and progressively dispense the fasteners to the fastening tool. The magazine assembly includes a magazine housing, a guide tab, which is movably disposed in the magazine housing, and a catch for selectively securing the guide tab relative to the magazine housing in a loading position that permits one or more fasteners to be loaded into the magazine housing. The catch is solely responsive to translation of the guide tab within the magazine housing to latch the guide tab into the loading position and unlatch the guide tab from the loading position.
In another form, the present invention provides a method for operating a fastening tool assembly having a fastening tool and a magazine assembly. The magazine assembly includes a magazine housing, a guide tab, a spring and a catch. The guide tab is at least partially disposed in the magazine housing and biased upwardly therein via the spring. The catch is operable in an engaged condition for holding the guide tab in a position that permits a plurality of fasteners to be loaded into the magazine housing. The catch is also operable in a disengaged condition that does not inhibit upward movement of the guide tab in the magazine housing. The method includes: pushing the guide tab to a predetermined point at a lower end of the magazine housing; releasing the guide tab so that the spring lifts the guide tab upwardly from the predetermined point to engage the catch; loading the plurality of fasteners into the magazine housing; pushing the guide tab toward the lower end of the magazine housing to disengage the catch; and releasing the guide tab to permit the spring to raise the guide tab toward the upper end of the magazine housing.
Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.